Take that, Miami! Fort Lauderdale, Lake Worth Beach, Key West eateries picked as best beachfront restaurants in Florida
Two Fort Lauderdale restaurants, one in Lake Worth Beach and another in Key West have been named among the best beachfront eateries in the Sunshine State.
But there was one big omission: Miami-Dade County.
A Sarasota-based travel site, Trips to Discover, just published its lineup of the “15 Best Beachfront Restaurants in Florida” and singled out Casablanca Cafe and S3 in Fort Lauderdale, Benny’s on the Beach in Lake Worth Beach and Salute! On The Beach in Key West. To our surprise, no oceanfront dining spots on the sands between Aventura and Homestead were deemed worthy enough.
A historic home built in 1927 and converted into a restaurant in 1995, Casablanca Cafe (3049 Alhambra St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-764-3500; CasablancaCafeOnline.com) is a Mediterranean Revival-style marvel, enduring even while luxe hotels sprout up around it. Of course, the Mediterranean menu matches the vibe, and the travel site highlights Casablanca’s Moroccan lamb shank, lime-cilantro fish tacos and blue crab crusted mahi mahi as must-orders, while also spotlighting its live music and cocktails such as the Beach Bonfire Old-Fashioned.
Upscale surf-and-turf spot S3 (505 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-523-7873; S3Restaurant.com) stands for Sun Surf Sand, but also for steak, seafood and sushi. The breezy restaurant on the ground floor of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort comes from strong hospitality stock (The Restaurant People, known for Java & Jam, YOLO, the abovementioned Casablanca Cafe) and marked 10 years on the beach in May. The travel site salutes S3’s fresh catches, premium cuts of meat and its “one-of-a-kind sushi bar.”
There’s also Benny’s on the Beach (10 S. Ocean Blvd., Lake Worth Beach; 561-582-9001; BennysontheBeach.com), owner Lee Lipton’s iconic celebrity magnet perched behind the Lake Worth Beach Pier. (Everyone from Jon Bon Jovi to author James Patterson to chef Gordon Ramsay have soaked up beach views on this patio.) Although the travel site shouted out its seafood bake and lobster benedicts, we’d add to their list its weekends-only paella, which includes Spanish rice, onion, garlic and chorizo seasoned with saffron.
Finally, the site lauds Salute! On The Beach (1000 Atlantic Blvd., Key West; 305-292-1117; SaluteontheBeach.com) as a “beachside treasure” on Higgs Beach, perfect for romantic sunset dining and its menu of Caribbean-Italian dishes. These include calamari with marinara, pasta with mussels and grouper cakes.
Of course, like most state rankings compiled by publications you’ve probably never heard of, Trips to Discover’s list feels woefully incomplete — even if we applaud them for omitting obvious and overhyped tourism hives (cough, South Beach). Which is why we’re taking this opportunity to add a few more beachfront destinations perched on our pristine shorelines.
Here are a few immediately worth your sand dollars.
Steak 954
401 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-414-8333, Steak954.com
This elegant steakhouse inside the W Hotel Fort Lauderdale Beach exudes effortless cool, with its mammoth aquarium with floating jellyfish in the lobby coming off like a living art installation. Restaurateur Stephen Starr’s boutique brunch-dinner takes its turf portion of surf-and-turf seriously, broiling their dry-aged beef at 1,700 degrees before it’s brushed with clarified butter. Yes, there’s flash (see: caviar service) and sizzle (see: 15-year Pappy Van Winkle), but it’s also gracefully experimental. Where else in South Florida do you find, as the surf sways in your ears, Kobe strip from Japan’s Hyogo prefecture on a menu with American Wagyu cheesesteak on buttery brioche?
Aruba Beach Cafe
1 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea; 954-776-0001; ArubaBeachCafe.com
Aruba Beach Cafe, literally on the beach sand off Commercial Boulevard, is bustling with colorful cocktails, a wastin’-away vibe and seriously addictive Bimini bread. There is, of course, the typical late-night ebb and flow of young singles and grizzled regulars taking in the sunset over Anglins Fishing Pier. But this breezy beach cafe also touts a strong live-music scene and Caribbean entrees, such as chargrilled Jamaican jerk wings, potato-crusted cod with island rice, fish and chips with slaw, and seafood fra diavolo in a spicy marinara.
Dune Deck Cafe
100 N. Ocean Blvd., Lantana; 561-582-0472; DuneDeckCafe.com
This beachfront beauty sure boasts breathtaking views, with the sound of surf and sea from the public Lantana Beach accompanying a menu of casual fare on the shaded al fresco patio. This is a locals-only breakfast-lunch place that’s cash-only (but there’s an ATM on premises). They also make their own Greek yogurt and banana walnut bread, the foundation for savory crepes and tropical fruit cups. That’s in addition to a full-liquor bar and brunch fare such as homemade corned beef hash, filet mignon and eggs benedicts, and heftier lunches like chicken brochettes and its catch of the day.
